Setting for petroleum-stills or analogous vessels.



, J Mir/eased J. w. VAN DYKE & .W. M. IRISH.

SETTING FOR PETROLEUM STILLS 0H ANALOGOUS VESSELS.

@ APPLICATION FILED OCT. 13. I910.

Patented Sept. 7, 1915.

3 SHEETSSHEET I.

j. W. VAN DYKE (Y1 W. M IRISH. SETTING FOR PETROLEUM STILLS 0R ANALOGOUS VESSELS. APPLICATION FILED OCT. I3. 1910. N 1,1 56, 1 PatentedSept. I, 1910.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

J. W. VAN DYKE & W. M. IRISH.

55mm; FOR PETROLEUM STILLS 0a ANALOGOUS VESSELS.

APPLICATION FILED 0CT. I3. 1910.

Patented Sept. 7, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

ET. 5% O O 0 O o h 0 Q O O 0 w n O O O O 0 Q N Q a w MM N r Phti lll lhllll JOHN W. 'ir'iN DYKE AND "WILLllAM M. IRISH, F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA,

ASSIGNORS TO THE ATLANTIC REFINING COMPANY, OF lHILAIDELPI-IIA, PENNSYL- VANIA, A. CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

SETTING- FOR PETROLEUM-STILLS 0R ANALOGOUS VESSELS.

masses.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. "5, filmed.

Application filed October 13, 1910. Serial No. 586,861.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN W. VAN DYKE and WILLIAM M. IRrsH, both of us citizens of the United States,.residing at Philadelphia, in the county of- Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Settings for Petroleum-Stills or Analogous Vessels, of which improvements the following is a specification.

This invention relates more particularly to settings for supporting above appropriate fire-places the stills in which petroleum is evaporated by direct fire heat for the manu- :tacture of burning oil (kerosene) or other roducts; but eachof the improvements composing the invention is intended to be secured for all the uses to which it can be adapted with or without modification.

It is customary to distil petroleum in batches; and. in so doing the still is alternately heated to a high degree (in order to evaporate'the' oil) and cooled down (preparatory to emptying the still); with settings of the construction heretofore commonly (in-our experience) employed, the walls inclosing the lower part of the still and the space for the fire gases are apt to become cracked by the repeated heatings and coolings and to allow a waste of heat by the escape through the cracks of hot gases of combustion when the fires are pushed or by the entrance through the cracks of cold air when the fires are slackened.

Petroleum stills, being composed of metal (steel) sheets riveted together and having their bottoms exposed to the direct action of the fire need much repairing. The seams frequentlybecome leaky and have to be calked. Sheets have to be patched or replaced. Even entire bottoms have sometimes to be replaced, where the oil distilled (crude oil, reduced oil or distillate, as the case may be) is of a corrosive nature repairs may be needed up to or even above the lugs; which are fastened on the outside of each still, and by which. the still is supported. For several reasons, it is more advantageous to allow only a narrow space between. the inclosin'g walls and the still atand for some distance below said lugs; which space is not sufiicient to give such access to the still as is necessary or desirable for making the repairs; and hence more or less of the inclos'ing walls has to be taken down and replaced whenever repairs are made. In settings of said common construction these walls are very thick (say upward of three feet through); and the removals and replacements of the same in repairing make a large item in the expense account.

The expansions and contractions of petroleum stills and their settings have a tendency to throw down the walls of said settings; and, in order to resist this tendency, said walls have been tied to the stills, near the mid height of the latter by horizontal bars extending through said walls and connected with vertically disposed plates outside of them. But, as aresult of this an rangement, .the tension and compression stresses draw the stills out of shape, elon gating the same horizontally and so leading to extensive repairs; which may cost almost as much as a new still.

in settings of the new or improved construction of the present invention the difli culties' mentioned are in large part, if not .wholly, avoided. The stills are each inclosed in and supported by a gas-tight structure of metal (ironor steel) which is protected from the directheat of the fires by non-conducting material. The inclosing (and supporting) walls of metal and nonconducting material can be comparatively thin and are adapted to be removed and replaced as far as necessary with much less expense than are the walls of said common construction of setting. The inclosing and supporting walls of the new or improved construction are not tied to the still, but are otherwise supported against lateral movement; and the still is interiorl v braced against horizontal elongation.

Other features of construction necessary to the best results and forming part of the invention will be hereinafter set forth.

The invention comprises all and singular the new, useful and original parts, improvements and combinations herein disclosed.

The new or improved construction of setting is exhibited in what isconsidered its most advantageous form in the accompanys ing drawings, in which: e

Figure 1 is a view of an apparatus composed of a pair of horizontally disposed cylindrical side fired stills with their settings, the view being half inside elevation and half in vertical longitudinal section on line A A of Fig. 2.; only certain bearers in line A A at the bottom of the figure are shown in elevation; Fig. Q is a view of the same apparatus half in end elevation and half in cross section on line B B of Fig.1; Fig. 3 is a partial view of one of the stills'and the metal portion. of the outer wall of its setting in section on line B B of Fig. 1 and on a larger scale 3. Fig. t is a partial view of the two stills and-the metal portion of the.

intervening walls of their settings in section on line B B of Fig. 1 and on the scale of Fig. 3; Figs-5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 are detail views of the metal portions of said walls,

Fig. 5 being in plan, Fig. 6 in section on line C C of Fig.3, Fig. Ton line D D of Fig. 3, Fig. 8 in plan, Fig. 9 in section on line E E of Fig. 1, and Fig. 10 in section on line F F of Fig. 4.

The stills a are provided with support-- *ing lugs b which are cxteriorly riveted thereto, and with interior braces c which tie together the diametrically opposite sides ofthe stills at about the level of said lugs and are most advantageously disposed each of them in line with a pair of oppositely disposed lugs. As shown each brace is in the form of an I beam and is secured to the still by two angle pieces 6! riveted to the web of said beam at each end thereof and also to still sheets and the flanges of adjacent lugs (Figs-1, 2, 8 and l).

Below each lug is a column in the form as shown of a pair of cross connected chan nel bars 6. In the outside wall of each setting (Figs. 1', 2, 3, 5, 6 and 7) these bars have their webs at right angles to the length of the stills; while in the walls which inter- I vene between the two stills each column supports a lug of each still and forms part of both walls; and its channel bars have their webs parallel with the length of the by a cap plate is. The brackets are strength-- ened by angle strips Z riveted to the cap meaeve plates and. to the bracket plates f and riveted to the base plates and channel bars and also in part to vertical plates, the latter riveted to the channel bars. In Figs. 3

and '2' such vertical plates g lie parallel with the webs of the channel bars; andthere is only one palr'p of angle strips. In Figs.

A and ill the angle strips 7' lie transverse to the webs of the-channel bars and are riv "eted to the lower cross connecting plates,

n; while the angle strips 8 lie parallel. with the webs of the channel bars and are riveted to said webs.

The columns are anchored to the foundation'h of the apparatusbv means of bolts t; which pass through holes u of slightly larger diameter, open to the atmosphere for circulation "of air to keep the bolts cool.

v As shown the bolts for the outside columns terminate in eyes; which project into open ended horizontal passages (shown in side view in dotted lines in Fig. l and in end view in full lines in Fig. 2) in the foundation it and through which holding pins w are passed. The bolts being then tightened, the columns are securely held by their base plates 9 against tripping over and, in fact, against motion in any direction. The anchor bolts for the intermediate walls are shown as provided each with a nut on its lower end. There is no need of tying the columns to thestill a; but the latter is left free to expand and contract laterally independently of its supporting structures; and any spreading of the lugs on opposite sides of the still is prevented by the braces c. The weight of the still and contents is borne by the brackets f of the outside columns without tipping, notwithstandingits application at one side of the axcsof said columns. Between the columns are plates a: and g; which form with them (in connection with filler plates 2., Figs. 1, 5 and 6, on the upper partof the outside columns) a gas-tight supporting and inclosing structure of metal for each of the stills a; and this structure is protected against the direct action of the fire by non-conducting material, best in the form of brick-work 2 (say ordinary brick with a lining of fire brick). This brick-work is best built with a vertical outer and an outwardly, and upwardly slanting inner surface; so that it is little, if at all, liabl'e'to fall inward; while the metal structure supports it on the outside. At the top it is advantageously provided with an overhanging projection 3 under the brackets f and lugs h; which projecltlidn closely approaches the wall of the sti The ends of the stills are 'coiiered by iso angers plates 4. and the tops by curved plates 5, all of'iron or steel. The filler plates 2 are riveted to angle pieces 6 (Figs. 1 and 6); which are in turn riveted to the channel bars 6. The plates a lie opposite those parts of the apparatus at which the inclosing Walls have to be removed in order to give access to the stills for repairing them. These are, therefore, best secured by re movable fastenings, such as bolts. At the lower level of the plates 3/ there is suilicient space inside the walls for enabling workmen to make repairs; and hence it is considered best to secure plates 3/ by fastenings of a non-removable type, like rivets.

()n each side of 'each'still there may be a single plate g or a. strip composed of any desired number of plates riveted together. This plate or strip ofvplates is riveted to the channel bars 6; and at the bottom it is secured by angle strips 7 to a base strip 8 on the foundation h. The strips 7 are riveted by their vertical flanges to the plates g and bolted by the horizontal flanges to the basestrips 8. Along the top edges. of the plates 3/ angle strips 9 are riveted; and angle strips 10 are riveted to said plates along the vertical edges thereof at the ends of the stills a.

The plates 00 are provided at one or at each of their respective ends with an angle strip 11 riveted thereto and they are detachably secured to the channel bars 6 by bolting the outstanding flanges of said angle strips to the flanges of the channel bars (Figs. 4, 8 and 9) or to the outstanding flanges of angle strips '32-riveted by their other flanges to the channel bars e (Figs; 5 and 6). The plates (e have angle strips 12 along their bottom edges; and said strips 12 and the angle strips 9 are bolted together by their outstanding flanges. Along the top edges of the plates 0: are riveted angle strips 13; and at the ends of the stills a angle strips 14 are riveted along-the vertical edges of the corresponding plates 00 The plates 4, which cover the ends of the stills, have angle strips 15 riveted along all or part of their edges; and these strips 15 are bolted to each other. The marginal plates & are bolted either to the above mentioned strips 10, to the strips 14, to the angle strips 16 (which are bolted to the base strip 17), or to the curved top plates 5. The top plates 5 have angle strips 18 riveted along all or part of their edges; and these strips 1'8 are riveted to each other or to the strips 13. Thus each still is inclosed (sides, top and ends) in a metal housing; which is not only practically gastightat the start, but is not apt to develop cracks under repeated heatings and coolings. Between the top plates 5, composing the roof of said housing, and the crown sheets of. the still, non-conducting material is interposed, the same restingon the metal 40 and ordinary brick 41.

supporting strips 19; which are" upheld by metal straps 20 (Fig. 2) having their upper ends riveted to the crown sheets of the still. As shown this non-conducting material is composed of blocks 21 of compressed scrap metal, a layer of brick 22, and a coating 23 of cement. Brick-work 2 1 is interposed between the supporting strips 19 and the brick work 2 and is supported by the latter.

At 25 and 26 are eaves or gutter strips, the

strips 25 being riveted to the plates 5, and

the strips 26 bolted to strips 25. At 33 and 3d are manholes, at 27 the pipe for supplying the still with oil, at 28 the vapor outlet pipe, at 29 a steam inlet pipe, and at 30 a pipe for carrying off the vapors in steaming out the still. In the vapor outlet pipe is a valve whose handle is shown at 31 for closing the vapor outlet in steaming out the still in accordance with an invention of ours, the

pipe 30 being opened at suh times, but

closed during the run. See Patent 1,095,438, granted on May 5, 1914, to our assignee, The Atlantic Refining Company.

The foundation it, at the outer sides of the stills, is built with pillars (Figs. 1 and 2) and interposed recesses; an d the pillars have transverse holes 85 therein. for cooling by circulation of air. Between the stills larger air passages 36 and 37 are provided longitudinally of the stills. The foundation h is best built up above the lire boxes 38; so as to inclose the lower portion of the heating space 39 for each still a. Within the founelation this space is lined with fire brick At the back of each recess is .an upright metal plate 452,

strengthened by angle strips 18 riveted.

thereto. The frames ie-and A5 for the doors 4:6 and 47' of the fire boxes 38 and ash pits 19 2: re mounted on these plates 42; which are protected from the direct heat of the fires by the non-conducting material 10, 41. At 50 and 51 are the grate bars and their bearcrs. The fire gases, after imparting their heat to the corresponding still, passover the bridge wall 52 through openings 53 in its roof into the horizontal fine 54; by which the fire gases are carried oil. With some fuel it is desirable to use a forced blast. This can be supplied to the ash pit of each fire-place through the branch flue 55 from one of the passages 37; which line shown as divided from each other by the vertical partition 56.

air and the like can be employed in place of that shown, if preferred At 60 are holes for pipes; through which combustible still gases or other gaseous fuel can be introduced.

columns. which are between the two stills a with their webs parallel with the longitudinal axes of said stills, as shown, an air space for a cooling circulation Will be left between the walls on opposite sides of said columns; which space can extend from end to end of the stills and be left open to the atmosphere. 7 I 1 The setting inmany'at least of its features can be used in connection with analo gous vessels as Well as with petroleum stills;

It can be so used, for example, in connection with stills for evaporating liquids other than petroleum, with boilers for generating steam, and so on. It can be used in connection with end fired petroleum stills or stills or analogous vessels which are in the form of horizontally disposed cylinders and have their-fire boxes under one end only, or

at eachend, (as may be preferred) of the several cylinders and the fire doors at the corresponding end or at each endof the settings. With end firingarrangements, any desired number of horizontal cylindrical stills can be located adj acently to each other in a battery or row.

The setting'in many of its features can also be used in connection with stills or analogous vessels of other form than that of horizontally disposed cylinders, as for example in connection with petroleum stills of .the Well knowncheese box, (or upright cy- .lindrical) form,

We claim as our invention. or discovery:

1. A petroleum still or analogous vessel provided with exterior supporting lugs attached thereto, in combination with columns upholding said still or analogous vessel by means of said lugs, plates intervening etween said columns and secured thereto in such manner that they serve to brace the same and to retain them in place and forming a gas-tight inclosure for the heating space and the lower part of the still or analogous vessel and a lining for protecting said columns andplates from heat, substantially as described.

2.,A petroleum still or analogous vessel provided with exterior supporting lugs attached thereto, in combination with a structure which upholds said still or analogous vessel by means ofsaid lugs and incloses u i I v greases the heating space and the lower part of the still or analogous vessel and includes columns under said lugs and metal plates secured by removable fastenings to said columns in such manner that they serve to brace the latter and to retain them in place, and a readily removable and replaceable lining which protects said structure from heat, substantially as described.

3. A petroleum still or analogous vessel provided with exterior supporting lugs attached thereto and also with interiorbraces extending across said still or analogous vessel at about the level of said lugs, in combination with means for upholding said still or analogous vessel through said lugs, substantially as described.

4. A petroleum still or analogous vessel provided with exterior supporting lugs attached thereto and also with interior braces extending across said still or analogous vessel at about the level of said lugs, in combiuation with meansfor upholding said still or analogous vessel through said lugs, which means are not tied to the still, but are otherwise supported against lateral motion so that the still can contract and expand independently of said means, substantially as analogous vessels, that is to say with such described.

5. A petroleum still .or analogous vessel provided with exterior supporting lugs attached thereto, in combination with a masonry foundation which incloses the fire boxes and the lower part of the overlying heating space, and a metal structure which is upheld by said foundation and upholds said still or analogous vessel by means of,

said lugs and which forms a gas-tight inclosure for the-upper part of said heating space and the lower part of the still, substantially as described.

6. The combination with a masonry foundation exposed to high temperatures and having bolt holes therein which are open to the atmosphere at both ends, of a metal structure upheld by said foundation, and bolts for anchoring" said structure to said foundation, which bolts are located in said holes and are not large enough to fill the same completely and have detaining means that leave said holes open to the atmosphere at their lower ends, so that said bolts can be cooled by the ventilation allorded by the vacancies in said bolt holes, substantially as described.

7. A petroleum still or analogous vessel, in combination with a masonry foundation having bolt holes therein which are open to the atmosphere at both ends, a metal structure upholding said still or analogous vessel and itself upheld by said foundation, and bolts for anchoring said structure to said foundation,-which bolts are located in said holes and are not large enough to fill the same completely and have detaining means tached thereto,

' protects surname I that leave said holes open to the atmosphere at their lower ends, so that said bolts can be cooled by the ventilation aflorded by the vacancies in said. bolt holes, substantially as described.

8.1%. petroleum still or analogous vessel provided with exterior supporting lugs atin combination with a structure which incloses the heating space and the lower part of sel and includes columns located under said supporting lugs and separately removable plates intervening between said columns and detachably secured in place by iastenings that are accessible from the outside, substantially as described.

9. A, petroleum still or analogous vessel provided with exterior supporting lugs at-' tached thereto, in combination with a structure which incloses theheating space and the lower part oi the still or analogous ves sel and includes colunms locatedunder said supporting lugsjand separately removable plates intervening between said columns and detachably secured in place by iastenings accessible from the outside, and a readily removable and replaceable lining which protects said structure from heat, substantially as described.

10. A petroleum still or analogous vessel provided with exterior supporting lugs at: tached tiereto, in combination with a metal structure which upholds said still or analo-' gous vessel by means of said lugs and incloses the heating space and the lower part of-the still or analogous vessel, and a lining which said structure from heat and is composed of a wall of brick-work with its inner surface inclined upward and substantially as described 11. A petroleum still or analogous vessel provided with exterior supporting lugs attached thereto, in combination with a gastight metal structure which upholds said still or analogous vessel by means of said lugs and incloses the heating space and the lower part of the still or analogous vessel, and a lining whichvprotects said structure from heat and is composed of a wall with its inner surface inclined upward and outward and also with an overhangin'g'projection in proximity to said still or analogous vessel near the level of said lugs, tially as described.

12. A. petroleum still or analogous vessel provided with exterior supporting lugs attached thereto, in combination with columns which uphold said still or analogous vessel bymeans of said lugs and are composed of channel bars, and plates secured to those portions of the phannel bars which are adjacent to said still or substanoutside of said plates and consequently er:- posed to the outside air and protected by he still or analogous vespillars in front of outward, v

analogous vessel, so that the bodies of said columns are located said plates from the heat, substantially as said plates from heat, substantially as de scribed.

14:. A petroleum still (gr analogous vessel, in combination with a masonry foundation which contains the fire boxes, metal columns which'uphold said still or analogous vessel and rest upon the top of said foundation,

and a l ning which protects said columns from heat and is composed of a wall of brick-Work resting also onthc foundation, substantially as described.

15. A petroleum still or analogous vessel, incombination with a masonry foundation which is built with pillars and interposed recesses and contains the fire boxes with their door frames at'the bottoms of said recesses, and means which uphold said still or analogous vessel andare upheld by said said door frames, substantially as: described.

16. A petroleum still or analogous vessel, incombination with a lined metal structure which upholds said still or analogous vessel and incloses the upper part of the heatingof the stillor I space and the lower part analogous vessel, and a masonry foundation which contains the fire boxes and incloses the lower part of said heating space, substantially as described. 1

17. A petroleum still or analogous vessel provided with. exterior supporting lugs attached thereto, in combination with columns which uphold said still or analogous' vessel by means of saidlugs, and a masonry foundation. which is built with pillars and interposed recesses and which has its said pillars located same and which also has fire boxes therein under the still or analogous vessel. with the door frames at the bottoms of said recesses in vertical planes intermediate the columns and the centers of the respective fire boxes, substantiallyas described. y

18. Adjacently located horizontally disposed cylindrical stills or analogous vessels, in combination with intervening columns which uphold both of the stills or analo- *gous vessels between which they are placed, and plates on opposite sides of said columns, substantially as described.

19. 'Adjacently located horizontally disposed. cylindrical stills or analogous vessels, in combination with intervening'coltop of said under said columns, to' uphold the ito , webs parallel with. the lengths of said stills analogous vessels, so as to leave an intervening .air space, and walls on opposite sides of said columns with air space between them, substantially as described.

20. A petroleum still or analogous vesselprovided with exterior supporting lugs attached thereto and also with interior braces extending across said still or analogous vessel at about the level of said lugs, substantially as described.

'21. A petroleum still or analogous vessel providedwith exterior supporting lugs attached thereto, in combination with a masonry foundation which incloses the fire boxes and the lower part of the overlying heating space, and a gas-tight structure which includes-metal plates which upholds said still or analogous vessel by means of said lugs and is upheld portions of said foundation above said boxes, substantially as described.

22. A petroleum still or analogous vessel provided with exterior supporting lugs attached thereto, in combination with a masonry foundation which incloses the fire boxes and the lower part of the overlying heating space and which has bolt holes therein that are open to the atmosphere at both ends and are located in portions of said foundation above said fire boxes, a metal structure which upholds said still 'or analogous vessel by means of said lugs and is upheld by portions of said foundation above said fire boxes, and bblts for anchoring said structure to said foundation; which bolts are located in said holes and arenot large-enough to fill the same completely and have detaining means that leave said holes open to the atmosphere at their lower ends,

substantially as described.

23. A petroleum still or analogous vessel provided with exterior supporting lugs attached thereto, in combination with a masonry foundation which incloses the fire boxes and is consequently exposed to high temperatures and which is provided with bolt holes therein that are open to the atmosphere at both ends, metal columns which uphold said still or analogous vessel by in that are open to the atmosphere at both endsthereof, of metallic pieces which are anchored to said foundation by bolts of smaller cross section than the interior of said bolt holes and detaining devices for said bolts which allow the latter to be cooled by the ventilation that the vacancies insaid bolt holes afford, substantially as described. 7 25. A petroleum still or analogous vessel provided with exterior supporting lugs attached thereto, in combination with metal columns provided with brackets that underlie said lugs and so uphold said still or analogous vessel, flat plates secured to and interconnecting columns on the same side of the vessel below said lugs, and arched plates extending over said still or analogous ves- Sci and being secured to the flat plates as aforesaid that are located on opposite sides of the same, said arched plates thus forming a covering for the top of said still or analogous vessel and a bracing for the supporting structure, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN W. VAN DYKE. WILLIAM M. IRISH.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM Downs ANDERSON, EDWARD J. HENRY. 

